Ask Izzy Anything

Jan 15, 2015

Here at Kidzworld we are always on the hunt to bring you inspiring stories for kids & teens about kids & teens that are in their own way making a difference in the world.

By Deanna Beaudoin

We call them simply, Super Kids.

Izzy on locationCourtesy of The Daily Item

Kidzworld is pleased to formally introduce, Izzy.

Isabel, AKA Izzy, is ten years old and a fourth grader where she is a straight A student. She excels in spelling, reading, math, and her favorite subject is writing.

Izzy is a published writer whose work has appeared in the New York Daily News, the fifth largest paper in the country! Last year Izzy moved from her home in Brooklyn, New York, to Pennsylvania. She is also has experience as a playwright, having written shows that were performed live in Brooklyn. Her passions include writing poetry, playing guitar, singing, all things Taylor Swift, and helping her friends solve the problems of the world.

We had a few minutes today to chat about life in Pennsylvania, being homeschooled and what it's like to be a 11 year old Advice columnist.

Izzy, on behalf of Kidzworld we wanted to acknowledge that you have aimed to make this world a little bit better than you found it & with your YouTube Channel & now your forums here on Kidzworld we think you are doing just that.

Kidzworld's Interview with eleven year old, Izzy

Kidzworld: What's your favorite part about being Homeschooled Izzy?

I really like it because when I have my advice column its its alt easier because, if I went to school we'd have to schedule things on the weekend or afterschool and it would be a lot harder and a lot more work.

Kidzworld: What made you decide to start a YouTube Channel?

It was all kind of, so I had my advice column with the "daily item" a news paper out of - and the video's would go up on there website so then we decided to start posting them as well on YouTube.

Kidzworld: Where do you come up with your advice?

I try to come out of it with my own experiences because it's about kids and it's a lot harder for adults to answer these questions because they pull from their experiences when they were kids and kids now are so much different. I also imagine when I am answering these questions that I am talking to best friend. When I look into the camera I am talking to my best friend.

Kidzworld: How long does it take to prepare for each segment that you put on YouTube?

It doesn't take that long, this is basically what I the process is. I just like to wear hats and I get my phone out and a little tri-pod and a wireless microphone and I put that out and then I sit in my room and record them. Then when I am done I edit them and then we have to upload them. They used to send someone from the Daily Item video record them for me but I wanted to learn the process so recently I have been recording them myself.

At Kidzworld there are over 2 million other kids, around your age approximately. One of your tag lines that you always say in your video's "It's for a kid, by a kid". We're curious are you going to be DISH-ING some of your advice on our website? Have you started a blog, or are you contributing to any forums? We would like to chat with you in real time about the video's, the questions and your advice.

We definitely have been putting up links to my video's. Meanwhile when I am messaging the other kids, if they have any problems I will answer them through the messages. I will answer them that way or I will answer them on my column I can do it that way or they can send it to me on my email.

Kidzworld: Do you ever go in to the Dish-It forums? There are so many questions and it's very similar to the questions you get mailed to you each week :) Kids are in there, for kids and peer support. We have Dish-It that formally answer questions but also our Mod's and other caring individuals.

I like that, I think I'll be doing that too.

Kidzworld: We'd love to have you, that would be fabulous!

Thank you :)

Kidzworld: Izzy, tell me about your passion. You are obviously a positive individual - How do you do you stay inspired, what inspires you?

When I live in New York, my Dad was a reporter for a paper and I would always see these columns in the paper for adults. I would rarely if ever see and for kids and when I did they were all written by adults and tbh no matter how cool adults think they are they just cant relate to a kid as well as another kid could. So when I moved to Pennsylvania I started my advice column I got in touch with an editor from the daily item and gave him my idea and everyone loved it. A couple of weeks later started filming them. I love to help.

Kidzworld: What is it that moves you Izzy, what makes you want to get out of bed each day and take on the world?

I have always loved giving advice and I just always want to help people. That's what inspires me.

Kidzworld: You give advice to lots of kids every week, if you could go back to your younger self - what advice would you give ?

I would say to Always Be Yourself, try not to care what anyone else thinks of you and in the worst situations try and be the best version of yourself you can be.

Kidzworld: What would you say, you love the VERY MOST about yourself?

Ummm.. this is hard. I just love helping people and I love how weird I am. Giggles.

Kidzworld: Where do you get your questions from? Can people e-mail you, send you letters or how does one go about "Asking Izzy Anything?"

During the summer months I like to grab my hat and head to the park. I pick people at random and tell them about my project and then ask if they have any questions. When it get's colder the questions usually come from either Facebook, e-mail or Twitter.

Kidzworld: Do you feel that there is one common question that seems to be asked over and over by different kids?

Yes, actually there does seem to be a question that comes up many times. Kids often comment to be that kids today don't have as much freedom as they did years ago. Kids often think that their parents don't trust them as much as they would like to be trusted & how can they deal with that.

Kidzworld: Have you ever experienced On-Line bullying, or do you have an advise for some one that is dealing with this issue currently?

I would say: Just ignore it, these people are not your friends. Try not to listen to what they say, hopefully you can find the things you really like to do and do them. Try not to care about those people, try and be yourself and stay positive.

Kidzworld: What is the greatest challenge for you doing this column?

Sometimes I worry about giving the wrong advice or give advice that the person I am trying to help wont like. I just try to give the best advice possible so I hope that doesn't happen.

Kidzworld: What is the biggest reward to doing this column.

I just really like knowing I am helping people.

Last thoughts from Izzy: "Always be yourself, and don't care about what any one else thinks of you. Always be yourself."

Thank you so much Izzy for chatting with us today at Kidzworld, we look forward to hearing more from you and your column in the future as well as seeing you interacting & having fun on our site.